Cathy Hale

Lakeway’s Hops & Thyme Beer Garden & Brasserie Opens Today

Written by Cathy Hale | February 14, 2018

In August 2017, we shared the exciting news that Lakeway would have a new beer garden — Hops & Thyme — located in Lakeway Town Center II at 2125 Lohman’s Crossing Road.

Well, the time for celebrating is here. Cheers to craft beer, Lake Travis!

Hops & Thyme is officially open for business today from 11am-11pm. With 42 beers on tap, 20 wines on tap and a delicious menu of small plates, all we can say is, “It’s about thyme!”

Lake Travis Mompreneur Gina Provopulos is Reinventing Holiday and Floral Decor

Written by Cathy Hale | February 8, 2018

When you see a beautiful floral centerpiece, you might say, “Wow, that’s pretty!”

When you see a centerpiece designed by Gina, you’ll say, “OMG! I CAN’T EVEN BELIEVE IT!?! HOW DID SHE DO THAT?! QUICK, GRAB MY CAMERA! CALL ALL OF MY FRIENDS AND TELL THEM TO COME OVER AND SEE THIS! (Then your brain explodes with glee.)

Gina Provopulos — you can call her Gina P. — creates some of the most magical, over-the-top and fabulous decorations for all sorts of events in the Lake Travis area. And she’s been doing it for years. Lake Travis residents first experienced Gina’s gift for decor when she would decorate her kiddo’s classrooms for parties and special events.

Lakeway Elementary school parents may remember the jaw-dropping moment of walking into a classroom Gina decorated for a Christmas party. We aren’t talking a few balloons, and some decorations like you’d expect at classroom soiree — we’re talking fabric draped over each little desk chair with coordinating ribbons and ornaments hanging from the ceiling.

And then there’s the 80-foot magnolia leaf garland Gina made for one of the LWE fundraisers. Sure, she had to climb up and down a 7-foot ladder a million times to cut the leaves down, weave them and then hang them back up, but in Gina’s world, that’s no biggie.

Now imagine what this kind of creativity could look like in your home? W-O-W.

Snail Mail and Package Delivery Woes in the Lake Travis Area

Written by Cathy Hale | February 1, 2018

Snail mail like graduation cards and prescription deliveries are being stolen from home mailboxes…

Amazon packages are arriving ripped open and not as a result of typical shipping damage…

Security cameras are catching people stealing boxes right off someone’s front porch and driving away…

This is a disturbing trend that’s been gaining momentum across the nation and unfortunately, the Lake Travis area is not immune to it either.

What’s worse is people caught in this frustrating loop of mail theft or tampering spend time and energy trying to handle these issues responsibly through the proper chain of command, yet despite best efforts, nobody can get satisfaction.

This isn’t an isolated “neighborhood concern,” because it’s happening all over the place — in Steiner Ranch, Lakeway, The Hills, Serene Hills, Dripping Springs, Spicewood, etc.

We see daily posts on social media networks and neighborhood websites about missing packages, missing mail, deliveries to wrong addresses, no deliveries at all. It goes on and on and on.

We’re exploring this topic in hopes that the Lake Travis community can get some parcel peace of mind.
[Read more…] about Snail Mail and Package Delivery Woes in the Lake Travis Area

The Curious Tale of Two Turkeys in Lake Travis

Written by Cathy Hale | January 18, 2018

Lakeway has literally gone to the birds, friends. No, not because of traffic and commercial development, but because of literal birds. Specifically, two turkeys.

For Lake Travis resident Suzy Aubert, the tale of two turkeys in Lake Travis has been a mystery since May of 2017, when she spotted this fab fowl duo on her property in Serene Hills.

The first time she saw them it was quite a shock because you typically don’t see two turkeys waddling across your lawn in Lakeway. Wild boars, roadrunners, skunks, possum, coyotes — yes — but not turkeys. Now it’s becoming commonplace.

Lakeway isn’t being overrun by a rafter of turkeys, it’s just these two. They supposedly live behind The Lakeway Church and are often spotted across the street at the Lakeway Texaco on the corner of Lakeway Blvd. and Lohmans Crossing (as pictured above).

Why are they here?

Are they a couple? Aww, cute!

When will they leave?

Today we’ll answer all of your burning questions about Lakeway’s Meleagris gallopavo intermedia.

I Used H-E-B Curbside in Lake Travis and Here’s What Happened

Written by Cathy Hale | January 11, 2018

When it comes to grocery shopping, I believe there are two types of people. There’s the happy-gourmet who loves to cook, “dabble” with new recipes, use fresh spices and leisurely stroll through the grocery store marveling at leafy green vegetables. It’s a culinary adventure!

Then there’s me …

I’m always in a rush, so my goal is to zip through the aisles at an efficient pace — no time for small talk or tasting samples or reading labels — whatever I touch goes in the cart. If I accidentally pick up heavy whipping cream instead of milk, oh well. Grocery shopping is like a military strike — I need to get in and get out quickly with minimal causalities.

Over the past few months, my friends have been chirping about “curbside,” and how wonderful it is. Chalk it up to a New Year’s resolution, but I finally gave H-E-B Curbside Grocery Pickup a spin this week. If you’re already a Curbside groupie, perhaps you have some helpful tips for us newbies?

If you haven’t tried it yet, here’s how it works …

Cathy Hale

Footer

Legal Notice